Slack-adjuster.



W. H. SAUVAGE.

SLACK ADIUSTER.

APPLlcATmN man 11111.25,1916.

Patented' May 29., 1917.

' tinTTTn sTaTTs TaTnnT @Tricia WILLAMI H. SAUVAGE, OF FLUSI-IINGr, .NEWYORK, ASSIGNOR TO GOULD COUPLER COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

SLACK-ADJUSTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 29, 1917.

Application led January 25, 1916. Serial No. 74,195.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. SAUVAGE, citizen of the United States,and resident of Flushing, in the county of Queens and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in Slack-Adjusters, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to slack adjusters for the brake 1i gging ofrailway cars, and in its more intense aspect to automatic slackadjusters particularly adapted for use in connection with the brakerigging of railway car trucks.

Une of the objects of the present invention is to provide a simple andpractical automatic slack adjuster which may be readily applied to carsnow in general use either in connection with truck brake rigging or thefoundation brake rigging adjacent the power cylinder. Another object isto provide a slack adjuster of the above general type which will becheap to manufacture and install. A further object is to provide areliable and efficient slack ad juster adapted to insure predeterminedpiston travel and brake shoe clearance.

Other objects will be in part obvious from the annexed drawings and inpart indicated in connection therewith by the following analysis of thisinvention.

This invention accordingly consists in the features of construction,combination of parts and in the unique relations ofthe members and inthe relative proportioning and disposition thereof, all as morecompletely outlined herein.

To enable others skilled in the art so fully to comprehend theunderlying features thereof that they may embody the same by thenumerous modifications in structure and relation contemplated by thisinvention, drawings depicting a preferred form have been annexed as apart of this disclosure, and in such drawings, like characters ofreference denote corresponding parts A throughout all the views, inwhich- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a truck, partly in section,showing such parts of the brake rigging and slack adjuster mechanism asare necessary to fully understand the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view of certain parts.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a slightly modified form of adjustingmechanism.

Referring now to the drawings in detail and more particularly to Fig. l,5 denotes a car bolster having a dead lever hanger 6 at one side thereofsupporting the upper end of dead lever 7. At the opposite side of thebolster is a projection 8 adapted to act as a stop for the live lever 10on its return to normal position. This live lever is connected at itsupper end by means of pull rod 11 to the brake actuating mechanism andits lower end is connected with the lower end of the dead lever 7 bymeans of the two part telescopic push rod, one of these parts 12 beingan enlarged cylindrical housing carrying a pawl 13, provided with arelease handle, adapted to engage a ratcheted surface 14 on a coactingsolid push rod 15. This mechanism which may be termed a permanent takeup and holding device may be of any desired type adapted to effect thedesired result, that is, mechanism which will positively prevent aninward telescopic movement of the parte as the brakes are applied butreadily yield to take up the excess travel of the brake rigging due towear of the parts when registered upon and actuated by the adjustingmechanism hereinafter described.

Both the live and dead levers are provided with brake beam struts 16 and17, connected with beams 16 and 17 respectively if the brake rigging isof that type as to require brake beams and struts, and between which ispositioned the temporary take up and holding mechanism. This mechanismcomprises two links 2O and 21 respectively pivotally connected byuniversal joints, to the adjacent sides of brake beams., The coactingadjacent ends of these links, which are preferably flat, are providedwith elongated slots 22 through which passes a guide pin 23 mounted uponone of the links, and a friction clamp device 24C comprising a headedbolt provided with a yielding, preferably spring actuated, frictionmember Q5 at its opposite side. This mechanism is so constructed andarranged as to permit relative movement under abnormal conditions inboth directions but normally is adapted to slide in one direction onlywhen excess travel takes place. The connection between the link 21 andits strut is preferably provided with a lost motion slot 26 as shownthereby to insure a predetermined brake shoe clearance at all times.

In Fig. 3 is shown a slight modification of connection between theadjusting rods and the respective brake beams permitting universalmovement. chicles a member 29 having a horizontal pivot pin supportingthe adjacent link of the adjusting rod and a vertical pin connectingsaid member with a casting secured to the brake beam as shown. Theseconnections permit free movement ofthe parts both vertically andlaterally as may be necessary, thereby preventing the rapid wearing aswould otherwise take place by rigid connections.

Associated with the pivotal connection 31 between the live lever 10 andthe strut 1G is a release spring 27. rl`his spring is preferably ofU-shaped construction having its lower end 28 coacting with the underside of the strut 16 while its upper ends are connected by means of thetransverse bolt 30 bearing against one of the side edges of the livelever. The intermediate portions or sides of the release spring arecoiled one or more times about the pivotal connectio-n 31 connecting thestrut with the live lever. It will thus be seen that this release springis adapted to maintain predetermined angular relation between the strutand the lever and tend to return the parts to such position on releaseof the braking power. ln other; words a localized turning action takesplace during the application of the brakes which is reactive on theirrelease.

rThe device operates in substantially the following manner: Applicationof the brakes causes a movement of the pull rod 11 toward the left whichacts and re-acts through the intervening connection and dead lever tocarry the brake shoes into contact with the peripheries of the adjacentwheels. l/Vhen excess travel takes place, due primarily to the wear ofthe brake shoes, a relative separation of the brake beams in excessof'the predetermined clearance provided for by the slot 26 takes place,and a consequent slipping action of the frictionclamp 25 correspondingexactly to the excess travel occurs. Upon release of the mechanism thespring 27 comes into play to return the upper end of the live lever toits normal position against the stop 8. Complete return movement howeverwould at first be prevented by reason of the friction clamp which causesthe point 31 to act as a fulcrum about which the live lever continues toturn, causing the telescopic member 15 to Each connection in-l be pulledout of the housing 12 an amount corresponding to the excess travel, oras nearly equal thereto as possible, by reason of the pawl and ratchetconstruction.V

It is of course to be understood that suitable release mechanism may beconnected with the pawl 13, such as release handle 32, to raise the sameout of engagement with the ratchet when it is necessary to apply newshoes to the brakes. rlhis mechanism is believed to require no detaileddiscussion and it may be operated from the side of the car by anydesired intermediate connections.

From the above it will be seen that the present invention provides asimple, practical and reliable mechanism which may be readily applied toear trucks and associated brake rigging now in use without materialchanges, and in fact the invention is believed to accomplish, amongothers, all of the objects and advantages above set forth.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist ofthis invention that others can be applying current knowledge readilyadapt it for various applications without omitting cer-tain featuresthat, from the standpoint of the-prior art, fairly constitutes essentialcharacteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention,and therefore such adaptations should and are intended tobe comprehendedwithin the meaning and range of equivalency of the following claims. l

I claim:

1. In a slack adjuster, in combination, a live lever, a dead lever,actuating mechanism associated with the end of the live lever, anextensible push rod connecting the ends of said levers, an adjustingdevice substantially parallel thereto comprising a pair of paralleldisposed links having elongated slots which links are loosely connectedrespectively with the live and dead levers to permitl relative movementin both vertical and horizontal planes, and a friction' clamp passingthrough said slots adapted to have relative movement with respect toeither of said links.

2. In a slack adjuster, in combination, a live liver, a dead lever,actuating mechanism associated with the end of the live lever, anextensible push rod connecting the ends of said levers, an adjustingdevice substantially parallel thereto comprising a pair of paralleldisposed links having elongated slots connected respectively with thelive and dea-d levers by universal joints, a friction clamp passingthrough said slots adapted to yhave relative movement with respect tosaid links, and a lost motion device associated with one ofthe points ofconnection with one of the links and itsassociated lever.

3. In a slack adjuster, in combination, a

llO

live lever, a dead lever, actuating mechanism associated with the livelever, an eX- tensible push rod connecting the ends of said levers, anadjusting device substantially parallel thereto comprising a pair ot'links having elongated slots connected respectively with the live anddead levers adapted to permit both vertical and lateral movement, afriction clamp passing through said slots adapted to have relativemovement with respect to said links, said connection between the ends ofsaid live lever and dead lever comprising a two part telescopic memberhaving a pawl and ratchet connection between the eii'ective ends.

4L. In a slack adjuster, in combination, a live lever, a dead lever,actuating mechanism connected with the live lever, a two part extensiblepush rod connecting the other end of the live lever with thecorresponding end of the dead lever, and a temporary take up and holdingdevice substantially parallel with said push rod and having universalconnection with said live and lead levers.

5. In a slack adjuster, in combination, a live lever, a dead lever,actuating mechanism connected with the live lever, a two part eXtensiblepush rod connecting the other end of the live lever with thecorresponding end of the dead lever, and a temporary take up and holdingdevice substantially parallel with said push rod and connecting saidlive and dead levers, said take up device comprising a pair ofover-lapping relatively flat links universally connected at their endswith the live levers and having elongated registering slots, and afriction clamp passing through said slots and adapted normally to permitmovement in one direction only.

6. In a slack adjuster, in combination, a bolster having a fixed stop atone side a dead lever support at the opposite. side, a live levercoacting with the stop, a dead lever supported from said support, a twopart eXtensible push rod connecting the opposite ends of said live anddead levers having a pawl operating between the effective ends thereofand a two-part adjusting rod parallel to said push rod having universaljoint connections with their supporting parts.

7. In a slack adjuster, in combination, a bolster having a fixed stop atone side, a dead lever support at the opposite side, a

live lever coacting with the stop, a dead' lever supported from saidsupport, a two part eXtensible push rod connecting the opposite ends or'said live and dead levers, a two-part adjusting rod parallel to saidpush rod having universal joint connections with their supporting parts,said push rod being provided with pawl and ratchet mechanism between theeii'ective ends of its parts and means for releasing said ratchet.

8. In a slack adjuster, in combination, a live lever, a dead lever, atwo part extensible push rod connecting the ends of said live and deadlevers, said push rod being provided with pawl and ratchet mechanismbetween the effective ends of its parts, brake beam struts pivotallyconnected with the live and dead levers, and a return spring associatedwith the pivotal connection between the live lever and its strut adaptedto maintain predetermined angular relation therebetween.

9. In a slack adjuster, in combination, a

car bolster, a live lever and a dead leversupported at opposite sides ofthe bolster, a telescopic connection between the ends ot the live anddead levers, permanent take up and holding devices associated therewith,brake beam struts having connections with the live and dead levers,links connected with said struts having over-lapping registering slotsin their adjacent ends, a friction clamp passing through said slotsadapted to have relative movement with respect to said links, and aU-Shaped return spring associated with the pivotal connection of thelive lever and its strut and having coactive engagement with said partsadapted to maintain predetermined angular relation therebetween.

Signed at New York in the county of New York and State of New York this16th day of December A. D. 1915.

WILLIAM H. SAUVAGE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

